Browsing by Author "Jesus, Saúl"
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- A study on the psychometric properties of the warning signs recognition for suicidal acts inventoryPublication . Brás, Marta; Carmo, Cláudia; Jesus, SaúlThe recognition of warning signs by peers is a key strategy for suicide prevention. However, there are no tools to assess the knowledge of adolescents about these signs. This study aims to develop a Warning Signs Recognition for Suicidal Acts Inventory (WSSAI) and study the respective psychometric characteristics. The sample comprised 512 high-school adolescents (59% female) with a mean age 16.78 years. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyzes, along with theoretical criteria, led to a three-factor solution (23 items) that assesses behavioral, verbal and isolation warning signs. The WSSAI presented quite satisfactory reliability and validity characteristics.
- An integrated model for the study of teacher motivationPublication . Jesus, Saúl; Lens, WillyRecent studies show that teachers suffer more than other professional groups from the occupational lack of motivation. A global understanding of teacher motivation requires an adequate framework for its study. The main goal of the current research was to propose and test a model of teacher motivation that integrates constructs from several cognitive-motivational theories. This integrative model starts from the perspectives of Expectancy-Value and Learned Helplessness but overcomes some of the limitations of each. The participants were 272 elementary and secondary teachers in Portugal. They responded to a series of inventories designed to measure their expectancies of control, success and efficacy, attributions, intrinsic motivation and perceived goal value levels, and how these interact to influence professional engagement (the model’s exogenous variable). Analyses of path coefficients and the variance of endogenous variables support the proposed integrated model and suggest strategies for teacher education that may increase teacher motivation.
- Assessing stakeholders’ risk perceptions in a vulnerable coastal tourism destination (Faro beach, Southern Portugal)Publication . Domingues, Rita B.; Costas, Susana; Jesus, Saúl; Ferreira, OscarEffective coastal management is essential in regions where tourism is a main economic activity. However, poor communication and disagreement between stakeholders hamper the way decisions are conveyed to residents and home/business owners, potentially affecting economic development. We analysed managers and scientists' views regarding risk perceptions of Faro Beach (Algarve) residents, contributing to the identification of differences and similarities towards a sustainable management. We used a qualitative content analysis of managers and scientists' discourses. Managers and scientists recognize that residents, particularly fishermen, are quite knowledgeable about the risks they face by living at the beach. However, scientists and managers believe that residents easily forget about the problems due to an optimism bias and positive previous experience with hazards, that never caused fatalities or serious consequences, leading to an underestimation of the severity of the risks. Managers think that residents are not concerned about the environmental problems of Faro Beach, and both scientists and managers see education as the best solution to increase risk perception and concern of residents. We suggest that truly collaborative approaches to coastal management should be promoted, including an active involvement of residents in the decision process, thus increasing their self-efficacy and behavioural control.
- Como é que os habitantes da Praia de Faro olham para os riscos costeiros?Publication . Domingues, Rita; Santos, Márcio C.; Jesus, Saúl; Ferreira, OscarFaro Beach is a vulnerable and heavily urbanized settlement, exposed to beach erosion, overwash and other hazards. However, residents seem to feel safe living there and have no intentions of ever leaving the beach. We developed questionnaires and went knocking on doors, asking how residents feel about their safety at the beach. We realised that fishermen and their families possess significant knowledge on coastal hazards that derive mainly from life experience. Their risk perception is not as low as we thought; however, residents believe hazards are not that dangerous and they will probably happen in the future, but not now. This optimism bias and psychological distance hinders their preparedness efforts towards hazards.
- Coping and social support as moderators: relationship between financial threat and negative psychological outcomesPublication . Viseu, João; Jesus, Saúl; Leal, Ana Rita Cavaco; Pinto, Patrícia; Nunes, Lara Ayala; Matavelli, RafaelaBetween 2011 and 2014 Portugal faced an economic crisis. During a crisis, individuals develop threat perceptions regarding their financial situation. When individuals perceive that their financial situation worsens, negative psychological outcomes emerge. The present study assessed the relationship between financial threat and three negative psychological outcomes (stress, anxiety, and depression), and tested the moderating role of proactive coping and social support, individually and combined, on this relationship. The moderating role of sociodemographic variables (age, gender, marital status, and professional situation) was also considered. A sample of 729 participants, 33.9% males and 66.1% females, was collected online between March–June 2013. Structural equation modeling was used to evaluate the obtained data. Financial threat was positively and significantly associated with stress, anxiety, and depression. Proactive coping moderated the relationship between financial threat and depression. Social support, individually and combined with proactive coping, did not moderate the relationship between financial threat and any of the negative psychological outcomes. Age moderated the relationship between financial threat and stress. The main implications of this study are presented, as well as its limitations and suggestions for future works.
- Decision-making in adult unipolar depressed patients and healthy subjects: significant differences in Net Score and in non-traditional alternative measuresPublication . Moniz, Marco; Jesus, Saúl; Gonçalves, Eduardo; Pacheco, Andreia; Viseu, J.Alterations in executive functioning are frequent in depressive patients. One clinical characteristic of depression is difficulty and slowness in decision-making. This study aimed to compare the performance of a group of 30 non-psychotic unipolar depressed to 30 healthy controls in a version of the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) from the Psychology Experiment Building Language (PEBL). Significant differences between depressed patients and healthy controls in traditional Net Score measures as well as in various alternative metrics were verified.
- Depression and sleep quality in older adults: a meta-analysis.Publication . Brandolim Becker, Nathália; Jesus, Saúl; João, Karine; Viseu, J.; Martins, RuteThe literature emphasizes depression and poor sleep quality as problems that affect many elderly individuals. However, these problems have been related in few studies and there is no meta-analysis performed so far on this relationship. The present research reviewed the studies performed on the subjective sleep quality in order to understand how it relates to depression in older adults. The review was conducted in January 2016 and comprised publications between 2005 and 2015. Based on the electronic databases Web of Science and EBSCO, we used the keywords 'sleep quality', 'depression', and 'older' to identify the empirical studies performed. After assessing the collected studies, we selected those that presented the elderly as participants, resulting in nine papers (N=3069). A random-effects method was used to evaluate the relationship between depression and sleep. We found that an older person's lack of good sleep quality is significantly related with depression. The main limitation of this study was the difficulty in collecting a greater number of studies. Future research should consider the importance of additional variables (e.g. moderators) in order to understand and investigate viable interventions for prevention and health promotion in the elderly.
- Desenho do trabalho, atitudes positivas e suas implicações em unidades de hotelariaPublication . Almeida, H.; Faísca, Luís; Jesus, SaúlA presente investigação propõe um modelo analítico que tenta conciliar as PRH (práticas de recursos humanos) com a lógica do negócio e que se baseia em três modelos teóricos: “Características do Trabalho” (Hackman & Oldham, 1987), “Três Componentes do Envolvimento Organizacional” (Allen & Meyer, 1990) e “Intenção de Turnover” (Hom & Griffeth, 2001). O modelo proposto avalia o efeito exercido por determinados antecedentes de atitudes positivas no trabalho (potencial motivador do trabalho, percepção de alternativas de empregabilidade e de sacrifícios elevados) em variáveis de resultado (intenção de turnover e recomendação da empresa), analisando-se o papel mediador das atitudes (implicação afectiva, satisfação geral e satisfação orientada para o cliente) sobre essa relação. Para o efeito, inquiriu-se uma amostra heterogénea de 303 trabalhadores pertencentes a diversos grupos profissionais de hotelaria, recorrendo aos instrumentos “Satisfação Orientada para o Cliente Interno” (especialmente desenvolvido para o efeito), “Affective, Normative and Continuance Commitment” (versão portuguesa de Almeida, Faisca & Jesus, 2007) e Job Diagnostic Survey (versão portuguesa de Almeida, Faísca e Jesus, 2009). Adoptou-se uma metodologia de análise de dados diversificada (regressões múltiplas e equações estruturais), tendo os resultados evidenciado um efeito positivo e significativo dos antecedentes nas variáveis de resultado analisadas: as variáveis antecedentes explicam 46% variação da intenção de sair da empresa e 33% da recomendação da empresa. Alguns antecedentes estudados exerceram efeito directo sobre as variáveis resposta, outros exerceram indirecto através das atitudes de satisfação no trabalho e implicação afectiva. Estes resultados são discutidos à luz do desenvolvimento de modelos de intervenção que envolva atitudes e intenções de comportamento com implicações relevantes para as organizações de hotelaria.
- Dimensões da personalidade e fatores de motivação preditivos do desempenho: um estudo realizado com alunos de enfermagem e de psicologia da Universidade do AlgarvePublication . Almeida, H.; Jesus, SaúlAvaliar as dimensões da personalidade e facetas de motivação preditoras do desempenho de 148 estudantes de Psicologia (N=64) e de Enfermagem (N=84), num contexto académico e de trabalho recorrendo ao NEO-PI-R (Costa e McCrae, 1992); itens adaptados do Teacher Efficacy Scale (Sherri Gibson, 1983) e do Intrinsic Motivation Questionnaire (Lawler & Hall, 1970) e médias ponderadas das disciplinas e do estágio. Os resultados mostram diferenças significativas ao nível do Neuroticimo e da Abertura à Experiência; a Conscienciosidade prediz o desempenho académico global e de Enfermagem e a Motivação para relações de ajuda prediz o desempenho em contexto de trabalho global e na Psicologia.
- Effects of a brief mindfulness-based intervention on emotional regulation and levels of mindfulness in senior studentsPublication . Chiodelli, Roberto; Mello, Luana T. N.; Jesus, Saúl; Andretta, IlanaMindfulness-based interventions have been applied in diverse populations and achieved mental health benefits. This study examined the effects of a brief mindfulness program for emotional regulation and levels of mindfulness on senior students in Brazil. The intervention consisted of six weekly meetings attended by 30 participants. It is a pre-experimental research, with pre- and post-test comparative and correlation measurements. The preliminary results, which relied on parametrical and non-parametrical tests, revealed a reduction in total emotional regulation difficulties (p = 0.0001; r = − 0.55). Also, there was an increase in the levels of mindfulness in the subtests for both dimensions under evaluation: “Awareness” (p = 0.0001; d = 0.77) and “Acceptance” (p = 0.048; d = 0.37). By associating the amount of meditative practices performed by students with the variables, a significant positive correlation was found with the mindfulness dimension “Awareness” (rP = 0.422; p = 0.020), and there was a significant negative correlation with Difficulties in emotion regulation (rS = − 0.478; p = 0.008) and with its respective subscales “Non-acceptance” (rS = − 0.654; p = 0.0001) and “Clarity” (rS = − 0.463; p = 0.010). In conclusion, the application of a brief mindfulness-based intervention is promising in Brazilian university contexts; moreover, it can bring benefits to students, e.g., an increase in emotion regulation as well as in levels of mindfulness. We suggest that further research should use an experimental design and follow-up.